In Search of the Firedance: Spain Through Flamenco

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This book concentrates above all on flamenco's origins, from the deep south of Spain, Andalusia. Over the ages, the region has been submitted to a variety of influences - Roman, Visigothic, Arab, Jewish, finally Christian - and it was above all where the gypsies settled in the 15th century. Their origins are still mysterious, but there is no doubt that they injected into the indigenous musical culture of Andalusia their idiosyncratic mix of rhythm and song. In time, this became known as "cante jondo" - deep song. It was only in the 19th century that what we now recognize as flamenco evolved, and it has been evolving ever since. In the world eye, flamenco is dance, gypsy dance, and the 20th century has been largely beneficial to its development. With figures like La Argentina, Antonio and most recently Antonio Gades, flamenco dance has been in innovative hands; the underside, the cod flamenco of the "costas", is part of an altogether different story, also told here. The leading towns and cities - Seville, Granada, Jerez, Cadiz, not least of all Madrid - and the principal figures, past and present - Manuel Torre, Caracol, La Nina de los Peines, El Camaron, Paco de Lucia - are all profiled in this book. The author explains why flamenco has become so popular and reaches some conclusions about what constitutes its magic.